Foundation officials confirmed the meeting was held Wednesday, but declined to discuss the nature of the meeting or how many families attended.

The meeting, however, was suggested by state Attorney General George Jepsen. The attorney general, who became involved at the suggestion of family members, urged the foundation to meet with the families to explain its decisions about distribution of more than $11.4 million in donations.

Foundation officials this spring said $7.7 million of the $11.4 million would be distributed among the 40 most affected families, which includes relatives of the 26 killed at the school, the 12 students who witnessed and survived the shootings, as well as two educators injured in the ordeal.

Foundation officials have said the rest of the money, complying with donor intent, would be retained for long-term community needs.

Pat Kinney, a spokesman for the foundation, said the meeting should clear the way for two public hearings scheduled for May, but delayed because of the attorney general's inquiry.

"It was a private meeting and out of respect for everyone involved we would like it to remain private," he said.

Kinney declined to provide information on when the families might receive a distribution of the funds.

"We anticipate that the distribution committee will be announcing the schedule of the public hearings," Kinney said.

But Kinney was unable to comment on when that might happen.

Dr. Charles Herrick, a member of the foundation's board of directors, declined to comment Friday on the meeting with families or when distributions of the money could be expected.

Michelle Cruz, the former state's victim advocate, said the length of time it has taken to distribute the money victimizes the families of those killed Dec. 14 at the elementary school.

"The fact that these families have to go to meeting after meeting to fight for this money is ludicrous," she said Friday.

Cruz said the situation is similar to one in Ohio, where the families of three shooting victims have filed a lawsuit against the local United Way which hadn't distributed donations more than a year after the incident.

As in Sandy Hook, Cruz said, the Ohio United Way wants to reserve some of the money for long-term community needs.

Cruz said about a week after the shooting, while she was still a state official, she urged members of the governor's staff and local officials to create two funds, one for the victims and one for community needs, to avoid any confusion.

"It's not clear why it's taking so long," she said. "In Boston, where more than $50 million was collected, distributions started in just a couple of months after the tragedy."

Officials with the One Fund Boston have said that they hope to have money to victims by Monday.